Digital tom thumb: A digital mobile and geobased signage system in public spaces orientation

Abstract

The paper presents an experimental project of a digital mobile and geobased signage system applied to a public space—the University of Milano-Bicocca Campus—and to a digital information tool aimed to guide the choices of students in choosing their university career and to support them along the experience (called the Students’ Guide). The project approaches all the information, services, tasks and the interaction both with the external—environmental findability and orientation supported by GPS and geobased data—and internal spaces —localization and information inside the building supported by Beacon technology— according to a digital ecosystem design approach. The app MoBi Moving in Bicocca. Digital Pollicino (Moving in Bicocca. Digital Tom Thumb) has been designed, prototyped, tested, revised and validated thorough the user-centered approach, co-design and qualitative research methods. Although applied to a specific case study—the whole campus and the building U6 of Milano-Bicocca University—the research approach and the systemic perspective are intended to be replicable as a design frame-work.